Russia questions legitimacy of new Ukrainian government

Newscast Media MOSCOW—Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Monday that
“substantial doubts” existed over the legitimacy of the new acting government in
Ukraine.

Medvedev attacked the swift recognition of the new authorities in Kiev by a number
of Western governments, describing the regime as the unconstitutional outcome of an
armed uprising.

“Strictly speaking, there is nobody to speak with over there. The legitimacy of a
whole range of organs of power working there raises substantial doubts,” Medvedev
said.

“Some of our foreign partners think otherwise. I don’t know what constitution they
have read, but it is something of an aberration of consciousness when you describe
as legitimate something that is the result of an armed uprising.”
President Vladimir Putin has yet to make any public pronouncements on the change of
government in Ukraine.

Medvedev said that Russia would adhere to all existing agreements with Ukraine,
including those on energy.

“We do not co-operate with a specific set of people, or specific personalities, these
are interstate relations. We are neighbors, we are nearby states and we cannot get
away from one another,” he said.

“[The new leaders] aim to use dictatorial and sometimes terrorist methods to
suppress disloyal citizens in various regions of Ukraine,” the Russian Foreign Ministry
said in a statement.

“Calls are being made to introduce an almost complete ban on the Russian language,
abolish parties and organizations, close disloyal media and drop
restrictions on the propaganda of neo-Nazi ideology,” the ministry said.